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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: root · cue · face · bear · mine · cap · straw · bank

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. cap — a lid
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. face — part of the head
  6. cue — a hint
  7. cap — of ice
  8. cue — for pool
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bank — for money
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. bank — for money
  13. root — the cause
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — the animal
  16. cue — a signal
  17. face — to confront
  18. bank — of a river
  19. mine — for digging
  20. cap — a hat
  21. root — of a word
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. root — of a plant
  24. face — to point toward

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com